Developing a Company Image and Brand

What’s In a Name?

Building your company image requires two items: the identity itself and consistency of its use. Developing a brand requires two more items: your ability to distinguish yourself in the marketplace and your absolute commitment to providing the highest quality/service that your brand proclaims.

Identity

Your corporate identity is comprised of the name of your company and whatever graphic image you have chosen for your logo. Your identity defines visually who you are. Is your name descriptive of your product or service? If you don’t get a good feeling looking at the corporate identity on your business card, your customers aren’t, either. Does your logo create the image you want for your company? It might be time for you to update your identity or create a stronger, more powerful one. Sometimes a simple color change is enough of an update. Sometimes you need to go back to the drawing board and start over. Think carefully about the name and image of your business.

Consistency of Use

Once you’re happy with your corporate identity, it visually represents who you are and reminds customers and potential customers what you do for a living, make sure you use it everywhere! Not just on your business cards, stationery, envelopes, invoices, product packaging and other printed materials, but on ALL your marketing vehicles. Never miss an opportunity to promote your identity.

Branding

How important IS a name? Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the world is Nike. Whether you mention the name or not, the Nike “swoosh” is easily identifiable in virtually every country in the world. How did that happen? What does Nike mean, anyway? And does that really matter?

Apparently Nike was a mythological goddess. Is this important to the Nike brand? Not really. Nike has spent millions of dollars promoting its name and connecting it to the Nike “swoosh”, so consistency certainly has helped promote the brand. Its real brand strength, however, comes from its ability to influence people’s buying decisions based on perceptions about its name and image. The “Just Do It” advertising campaign set Nike apart by proclaiming that Nike wearers had the guts to do it, do it consistently, and do it right. Whether weekend warriors or professional athletes, individuals like to perceive themselves as winners. Wear Nikes and you’re a part of that winning/doing.

Coca Cola, or Coke, another world famous brand, is actually descriptive of the original ingredients in the product. Many customers are unaware of this, and it hasn’t hurt the Coke brand at all. These two examples illustrate that the name itself is not necessarily the most important issue in establishing the identity. Coke’s “the real thing” marketing campaign hinted that anything else was a poor imitation of real, setting itself up as the only “real” cola drink. The development of Classic Coke further emphasized the product as “real”.

Setting Your Company Apart

Identifying your competitive advantage is necessary to the branding effort. What is different and better about your product/service than everyone else? Is it less expensive? More durable? In a service business, the real advantage can be in customer service; you under promise and over deliver, every time. Identify your competitive advantage and make that an integral part of your marketing approach.

Although small businesses may not have the marketing budgets to cover the world, the marketing approach needs to have the same elements as a world-class branding campaign:

? The brand is true to the company image
? Be consistent: use the brand everywhere
? Distinguish yourself from competitors
? Live up to your marketing claims